Teachers with Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) in the Italian School System: A Valuable Resource
Dario Ianes, Benedetta Zagni, Sofia Cramerotti, Aurora Miorandi, Chiara Prati
In an ever-evolving educational context, teachers with Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) in Italian primary schools emerge as a significant resource but one that is as yet underexplored in Italy. Recent scientific publications demonstrate that teachers with SLD constitute a valuable asset with positive effects on learning processes, well-being, and inclusive practices. This study aims to explore this phenomenon by combining, for the first time in the literature, the perspectives of teachers with SLD, colleagues, and parents. Through three different online questionnaires administered to 736 participants aged between 24 and 64 years, four thematic areas are analysed: stigmatization, educational trajectory, professional path, and resources of teachers with SLD. The descriptive analysis reveals the main weaknesses and strengths of teaching with SLD in Italy today. Among the encountered difficulties, feelings of insecurity, marginalization, and prejudice are highlighted. Regarding strengths, data suggest that teachers with SLD perceive themselves and are also perceived by colleagues and parents as effective and motivated educators, endowed with specific resources, such as the ability to identify the difficulties of their pupils and consequently propose diversified and alternative teaching strategies. This study provides a significant contribution to understanding the reality of teachers with SLD in Italy, offering insights for promoting an inclusive and respectful culture of diversity in the educational context.
Keywords
Teachers with SLD, SLD, Inclusion, School, Didactics.
